


Terror in the Deepcroft

by WinterFaerie



Series: A Realm Reborn: Shion's beginning. [7]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Action/Adventure, Blood, Horror, Tam-Tara Deepcroft, Zombies, battles, dead things, yay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:02:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26574940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinterFaerie/pseuds/WinterFaerie
Summary: The Lambs of Dalamud are suspected to be hiding out in Tam-Tara Deepcroft. Shion volunteers to investigate what they're up to and stop them in their tracks. She gets a bit creative while fighting the various beings inside.
Series: A Realm Reborn: Shion's beginning. [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1917160
Kudos: 1





	Terror in the Deepcroft

**Author's Note:**

> this took far too long. ;; I hope you all enjoy it.  
> Best read with spooky/epic battle music ; )

“Sastasha Seagrot wasn’t too bad. I was lucky enough to catch the Serpent Reavers while they were several cups into their drinking. I don’t think they expected anyone to figure out where the hidden switch was that opened up the rest of the cave system…”

A tin tankard was set down heavily against the table. Spiced ale nearly splashing out. Shion rubbed at her upper arm while wincing before continuing, 

“... Still, I feel like I may have missed something. There was just so much to explore down there.” 

Miounne placed an old rag down next to Shion’s drink, just in case. There was a smile on her painted lips and a glimmer of pride in her eyes. 

“Don’t worry, you did your best. I’m not surprised someone like you was able to take care of it, Mother is still impressed however. It’s nice to know there’s still some reliable heroes out there hmm?” There was a pause. She wanted something. Shion could tell by the way she lingered near her table and took a breath. Miounne finally spoke again after crossing her arms across her chest. 

“There’s another situation which petitions your attention if you should be interested…” 

“What is it?” Shion inquired with a strangely bittersweet smile. 

Miounne exhaled, her shoulders relaxing. “Well-” She was cut off but not by Shion. 

“Beg pardons for interrupting, Miounne, but our need grows ever more pressing. Have none stepped forward?” 

“And good morrow to you too, Bowlord! Your need must be pressing indeed for you to honor us with a visit. The good news is: your journey hasn’t been wasted. I’m pleased to report that we have a volunteer at last and one who comes highly recommended, at that.” Mother was indeed proud, eyes cast down to Shion. 

Shion’s cheeks were hot and she turned to face the owner of the voice, Bowlord Lewin. His red garments, mask and impressive bow were unmistakable. Shion lifted a hand in greeting and smiled politely. 

Lewin’s eyes widened for a brief moment and he rested his hands on his hips, chest swelling before giving a good natured chuckle. “Oho! Well, if it isn’t our very own woman for all seasons! You certainly have a knack for appearing when you’re most needed, Shion. My thanks for answering the call.” 

Technically, Shion wasn’t even sure what ‘call’ she answered since Miounne didn’t have a chance to explain the situation before Lewin arrived. He was already facing the exit of the canopy with his torso as he continued. 

“Now, time is of the essence, so I shall proceed directly to the heart of the matter. We wish for you to nip a potential threat to Gridania in the bud. Beneath the Central Shroud, there lies an underground burial site called the Tam-Tara Deepcroft. Of late, shadowy figures have been seen skulking about the Deepcroft and with ever-increasing regularity. Based on the accounts of various witnesses, we suspect that these individuals belong to the Lambs of Dalamud, a doomsday cult which sprung up prior to the Calamity.” He shook his head, his nose wrinkling. “These zealots have proven themselves dangerous in the past and we leave them to their own devices at our peril.” 

Shion glanced longingly down at her drink before slowly rising from her seat. “Right, let’s get to it then. You want me to go in and get rid of them if they’re up to no good?” She was still buzzing with confidence after her easy trip through Sastasha. 

Lewin confirmed with a nod. “That is correct and I have no doubts that they're up to no good. We have some wailers stationed outside the area. I will let them know you’re on the way. Make haste!” He urged. And with that he jogged off, arrows dancing in his quiver with each bound. 

Miounne grabbed Shion’s tankard and the rag from off the table. “Do be careful out there, alright? Make Mother proud!” 

There was no response from Shion because she was already tightening her belt and making sure her bag was fastened properly at her hip while heading out the door after the Bowlord. 

Truthfully, Sastasha had been a bit exhausting. Her arms were aching and her legs were no better in comparison. This outing, Shion decided to forgo the use of her sword and heavy armor in favor of her robes and staff. Somehow, conjury just felt more natural to use in the shroud anyway. 

After a run past the Bannock and through Bentbranch, she finally made it to the deepcroft. Catching her breath, she snuck past the magicked bones wandering about in the entryway and made quick over to the wood wailer standing in wait for her. They had been expecting her just as the Bowlord promised. 

~* ~ * ~* ~

The inside of the old crypt smelled like cobwebs and something she had a hard time mentally processing. It was a familiar scent that reminded her of the voidsent slime she had to deal with during one of her conjury trials. That sickly, thick, unnatural smell that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Her nose wrinkled and her fingers tightened around the wooden staff she already had in hand. 

The old walls were damp, covered in moss and gods know what else. This place made her uncomfortable— as a crypt, it already carried a slightly frightening energy. Spirituality and the afterlife weren’t exactly things Shion fully understood so it made her uncomfortable. She was beginning to feel as if she should have asked for backup this time around but she had been too damn proud. 

The sounds echoing off the walls in here alone were enough to have Shion shaking. Strange agonized wails, animal screeches and low growls from creatures she couldn’t even imagine let alone recognize. Still, her feet kept moving her forward until the room opened up into a massive cavern surrounding a large orb of purple and black held in the center of the room, levitating in the air, being fed by tethers of energy that seemed to be attached to altars. The altar in front of her was manned by a broad shouldered person in dark robes and when they heard the sound of Shion’s boots against the broken stone pathway they turned. It was a man, scowling with dark bags under his grey eyes. 

“Well, well… Look what wandered in. Are you here to sacrifice yourself to our great lord? My master will be SO PLEASED!” A manic grin suddenly cracked his lips and he flashed his teeth while lifting a hand into the air, ripping open a void portal and unleashing several small imps. 

Shion said nothing. She didn’t have to. Her expression was bathed in so much disgust that the man could tell she wasn’t here to play nice. She swallowed down her nerves and launched into action without a second thought. The man’s laugh echoed throughout the dark cavern. The imps threw their ice magic at Shion and she danced to avoid the jagged spikes as they raced through the air at her. One crashed into her staff as she held it out to shield herself. The cold burst out, misting over her face and bit at her knuckles when the spike shattered. 

Large stones erupted from the ground and crashed into the imps. Seeing his little minions go down with such apparent ease, the caster grit his teeth. His eyes were wide and crazed as he pulled a dagger. The palm of his hand was sliced unceremoniously and blood trickled out onto the ground as he held it out in front of him. Dark smoke billowed up from his boiling blood and obscured Shion’s vision for a brief moment, she waved a hand in front of her face and then gasped at the sight now towering before her. 

The man had transformed into a dark creature with a disfigured, inhuman form, jagged wings and a long tail covered in cracked scales. The horns upon his head were pointed but not as pointed as his glowing gaze. Shion felt her blood run cold and realized he was upon her far too quickly. 

“What did you DO!?” Shion gasped in horror at this magic, twisting away to free herself from his grasp. 

The man - no - the beast roared out ferociously and raked the air, long sharp claws tore through the sleeve of her robe and sliced deep. Blood wept from three long jagged cuts but Shion scrambled further away until she had enough space between them to be comfortable. She cast again, the water she pulled from the soggy moss covered walls raced towards him. The spell danced around him as aquatic chains captured his legs and bound him to the spot. Another roar shook the area and he strained to free himself. Massive stones zipped through the air and collided with his head sending him toppling backwards. 

Finally, she had the upper hand. She moved in and quickly gripped her staff with two hands once again, using all her strength to drive the butt of the wooden weapon into the thing’s face. The sound alone caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand on end, purple blood spattered up onto her cheek and she winced, stepping back as those glowing eyes finally dimmed. 

Her own dark eyes lifted, set on the altar as she pulled her staff out of the void abomination’s face. He vanished in a cloud of dark smoke like the rest of the horrid creatures before him and for a moment, Shion forgot that he had been human. She approached the altar. Upon it; another dagger, some odd sprigs of some plant she couldn’t recognize and several severed fingers were laid out all around a glowing ball that had a tether connecting it to the main orb in the center of the crypt. Shion lifted her hand, her fingers touching the smooth, icy surface while sparks flew. The orb blinked rapidly and then finally seemed to burst inward on itself, dimming. The tether vanished. 

What WAS that thing anyway? Navy eyes narrowed as she stared up at the orb, cautious but curious. Before his transformation, the zealot mentioned something about his master. . . She ran the back of her hand over her cheek, smearing the voidkin blood. She decided to take the dagger.

It seemed that in order to get to the next altar within the massive main room, she would have to venture through some of the back halls. With one altar destroyed and one Lamb slaughtered, Shion made her way deeper into the crypt. The dagger was tucked into her belt but she was beginning to realize that on top of wishing she had a proper party, she wished that she hadn’t been so arrogant. Her armor, her sword, her shield… they would be incredibly helpful now. 

Through the dimly lit back halls, Shion mostly encountered skittish yarzon and swarms of flesh feasting bloat flies which were easily dispatched with simple spells. She was watching the twitching cease in a freshly downed yarzon when she heard something - a shuffling behind her. Upon inspection, she found /nothing/ which was even more unsettling than seeing something behind her at all. Exhaling, her shoulders relaxed slightly but the second she turned back around a hand reached out and grabbed her by the neck. 

Before she could even process what was going on, her back hit the wall and she felt all the air rush out of her lungs. Her hands reached up to grab the forearm of her attacker, clad in rusted armor. She managed to lift one leg between them, planting it right in the center of his chainmail. The force of her kick combined with her own grip on him sent him staggering backwards.. Without his arm. 

Shion gawked stupidly at the disembodied arm still attached to her and pried it off as if it were some horrible snake come to coil around her. Tossing it to the floor with a disgusted yelp, the blonde found herself lifting her eyes right as the dead man rushed towards her again. She yanked the old dagger from her belt and gripped the hilt tight with both hands before meeting him half-way in a lunge. It sank into her attacker, breaking through the old chain-link armor with ease. Rust and years and decades of wear must have rotted away the metal, thank the gods. She noticed this and ripped the dagger UP through the zombie’s torso. It groaned and fell to its knees before her before turning to dust. 

Fighting to catch her breath, Shion backed into a corner slowly as she slid along the wall.. Not wanting ANYTHING to sneak up behind her as she tried to process what she just did and what she just saw. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears and she swallowed hard before hearing the sound of several sets of feet shuffling down the hall she just traveled. Not wanting to get caught up in a hoard, she quickly pushed away from the stone wall, taking off in a sprint further into the burial site. 

What had these cultists done? As if using the site of Gridania’s beloved dead for their own personal hideout wasn’t insulting enough - now they were using the dead nobles and their servants to fight? She was filled with a bitterness she hadn’t felt since she watched the imperials -- 

. . . 

Her mind sort of went blank as she found herself rushing into the main room again, already waiting for her were two of the dead servants and one cultist. She jammed the dagger back into its place on her belt and pulled out her staff. Her eyes darted about for a moment as she pondered on what to do… she was clearly out numbered here. That’s when she noticed the sharp drop off next to the altar. She wasn’t sure how far the crypt itself went into the earth but she figured it was worth a shot. She turned her staff horizontally infront of her and gripped it with both hands. She let out a cry that made her throat feel raw - her legs pushed forward to charge and she crashed into the group. 

Startled by her scream and bold actions they were all forced back, the dead falling over the edge with the first initial push. The cultist however, clung to her staff, heels digging into the ground to slow them to a stop before she could force him into the abyss as well. 

His hood shadowed most of his face but when he leaned in, she could see that his teeth were stained yellow and his lips were cracked. He was dirty and smelled of rotting flesh like those puppets he and his employed against their will. Shion’s brows furrowed as they stood, pushing against one another, arms shaking. The wood of her staff was sturdy but beginning to give with quiet splintering. The cultist fought hard and spoke through his teeth. 

“Vile wretch! How dare you hinder our plans?! You have no idea what you’re fooling with, heretic!” 

He may as well have been speaking another language, his words meant nothing to Shion. All she was focused on right now was getting him away from her. “SHUT-UP!” She growled out before her legs pushed forward again, muscles burning in protest from the exertion. His boots scraped along the ground, unable to keep traction as they neared the edge. His grip on her staff tightened, the leather of his gloves cracking. Shion’s eyes ticked down to those hands of his briefly before making another (possibly really dumb) idea. Mustering what energy she could, she gave one more push with a yell. . . and let go of the staff completely. The man screamed as he fell, still holding her weapon. Shion furrowed her brows and waited for the thud but it never came, even after the scream had long faded. 

She untethered the orb from the altar and moved on, slowly. How much more of this place did she need to suffer through..? Once Shion stopped breathing so heavily, she picked up the pace and made her way through the winding tunnels once again. Thank the gods she found that dagger at least. Now if only she could find a sword. Along the way, she ran into some mites, some beetles, more yarzon. Simple vilekin that were easily taken care of. Still, it took much longer than she would have liked without a sword. 

Oddly, enough her prayers were answered when she rounded the next corner and spotted a body. This one startled her because not only was it freshly dead unlike the rest of the bodies here but the body sat against the wall without a head. The blood around the body shimmered with the flickering light of the wall torch. Shion leaned in, pulling the fallen gladiator's sword from its sheath. The metal sang as she lifted it to look it over with a simper.

Whoever this adventurer before her was, she would be sure to report seeing him so his body could be buried properly. Her stomach tied itself into knots but she pressed on trying not to think too much about who he had been. Why was that armor familiar? With a sword in hand, Shion was able to essentially slash her way to the next of the altars. She avenged the fallen man by cutting through the rest of the Lambs and removing the final tethers. 

The ground trembled and suddenly a great stone bridge formed before her in sections that rumbled into place, connecting the altar to a round platform. The orb shimmered and pulsed with energy as it lowered slowly to the platform. As it burst King Galvanth the Dominator was unleashed, reborn into a monstrosity. The lambs never got to finish their ritual so instead of what they had originally been hoping for, the king was summoned into a horrid void creature. This voidsent was clothed in long robes with a head that resembled a squid of some sort more than anything else. The gold chains wrapped around his wrists, matching his headpiece jangled as he lifted his massive staff into the air. 

“Who summons me from the void to reside in this crude vessel!?” He demanded with a shriek that had Shion hesitating on the bridge, gripping her sword with wide eyes. He continued, “You seem surprised! Did you not cross our gates in search of blood?” His free hand beckoned to her. 

“Come hither, child of the dawn! The undying master will drink deep tonight!” 

Shion’s shock melted from her face, exasperated, she rushed across the bridge and the void king raised his scepter sending a torrent of water gushing at her. She gasped and dropped down, sliding beneath the spell before scrambling back to her feet and launching herself at him. With her sword lifted overhead, Shion came down at him with a heavy swing but he abruptly and skillfully blocked her. The steel of the sword and the staff met with a loud clang that rang in Shion’s ears. The evil king pushed her away like a pest. She staggered back and was immediately hit with a water spell that sent her falling back onto her ass. Galvanth’s laugh echoed off the walls of the subterranean burial site and Shion hissed inwardly, crawling back up onto hands and knees, hair dripping with icy water. 

He readied another spell and Shion rolled out of the way, rocks pressing against the cuts on her already injured arm. She forgot those were even there until the pain shot through her whole limb, her free hand pressed against the injury and she quickly hauled herself back to her feet, the sword dragging against the ground as she inhaled deeply. 

Gods, she couldn’t die here… not like… 

Her thoughts went back to that poor decapitated adventurer. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, her hand gripping the borrowed sword even tighter as she found her determination again. Finally lowering her other hand, she pushed herself, rushing the creature. The flurry of quick attacks were met with graceful blocks with his staff only causing her to become more and more frustrated. Clash! Clash! Clash! 

Three imps appeared around the platform and her next swing collided with an invisible barrier that caused her sword to actually bounce back jarringly. As she looked at her blade to make sure it didn’t break, she noted a new series of small tethers connecting the imps to Galvanth. She turned her attention back to him just in time to see the voidsent’s scepter coming back down to crack her over the head. She twisted out of the way just in time, bringing her sword around her as she pivoted on her foot. It crashed into the shield again and the imps cackled. 

Shion grit her teeth and lept back away from the next horizontal attack. She quickly made her way to the imps, slashing the first one clean in half with another spin , noticing right away that the tether vanished when she did so. Her eyes widened slightly and as anger built in the king upon realizing she discovered his secret, he began to use his water spells against her again. With the icy bursts of water nipping at her heels, she ran around the platform, finally making it to the next imp which she cleverly slipped behind. The water crashed into the imp and it screamed out before vanishing. It was then an easy leap at the next, swinging her blade down upon its head. The barrier fell with the imps gone and Shion sprinted towards the mindflayer again. 

The inhuman king pulled his arms in towards his body and then threw them out again, unleashing a burst of electricity that the warrior hadn’t been expecting. With her hair and robes soaked from the watery attacks flung at her previously, the blast was more than effective. Shion fell to her knees with an agonized cry and sparks danced off her skin as she soon realized that the jolting pain in her limbs was making it hard to breathe let alone move. 

The king closed the distance between them, swinging his staff again and brutally cracking her right across the face. Blood splattered over the wet stone platform and Shion fell onto her back, her sword clattering to the ground beside her. For a moment, her body was motionless aside from the sparks dancing over her skin. Galvanth kicked the sword off the platform and sent it sailing into the same abyss Shion had sent the cultist into not too long before this. He leaned down, claws gripping the front of her robes as he began to lift the fallen hyur towards the coiling tentacles on his face, excited for the aether he would soon sup on. 

He won. 

Or so he thought. 

A sudden sharp pain caused him to jerk to a stop, his tentacles spasming before also freezing in place. His dark eyes widened and lowered to look at his prey and he saw her; wild eyed with blood pouring from her busted nose. Her shaking hands we’re clutching a dagger that she haphazardly sunk into his neck as a last resort.

“/No/...” Was all he managed to whisper. He loosened his grip, dropping Shion back onto the ground while reeling away with a shriek of pain. After the dagger was pulled from his neck, he began gargling out his despair. He fell to the ground with a heavy thud, black blood staining the stone beneath him before he burst into purple smog. Vanquished at last.

With the last remnants of his mind blast attack dancing off her form, Shion struggled to her feet and wandered over with heavy steps to grab the dagger from the ground where King Galvanth the Dominator stood mere seconds before. She spit out a tooth. 

Duty Complete.


End file.
